WPRI, radio stations, Beacon blood drive Feb. 21 at Warwick Mall

Posted
Tuesday, February 19, 2013 1:22 pm

WPRI TV, along with several radio stations and the Warwick Beacon, will host a blood drive Thursday, Feb. 21 at the Warwick Mall, 400 Bald Hill Road, Warwick, from 2 to 7 p.m. The drive comes at a time when the blood center is still working to make up nearly 600 lost donations that resulted from the Feb. 8-9 blizzard.

Donors have been very receptive to the need to make up the lost donations, but there is still a need to catch up to assure an adequate supply of platelets, red cells and plasma for patients in our community's hospitals. All blood used by the hospitals in Rhode Island is supplied by the Rhode Island Blood Center, and each day the Blood Center must collect 280 pints of blood to meet patients' needs.

"We lost two days to the blizzard and a quarter of our state was without power, causing lost blood drives and donation days," said Frank Prosnitz, the Rhode Island Blood Center's communications manager. "And again this weekend, snow had some impact on drives and donations at our centers."

All presenting donors at the WPRI, radio stations and Beacon drive will receive two entries in a raffle to win a pair of tickets to see Rihanna rock the stage at the TD Garden, March 10, courtesy of 92 PRO FM, Lite Rock 105, Hot 106 and News Talk 630 WPRO. All presenting donors will get a chance to spin the prize wheel.

The blood drive is sponsored by WPRI, Fox and MyRI TV; radio stations LiteRock 105, Hot 106, WPRO 630; and the Warwick Beacon.